The supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients, on Sunday, embarrassed their principal at the presidential town hall meeting organised by Arise TV in Abuja.
The event was attended by Obi, the presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Kola Abiola of Africa Democratic Party; and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State who stood in for the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The event was anchored by Arise TV journalist, Reuben Abati, and aired live on TV.
First instance of embarrassment for Obi
Shortly after it was discovered that Atiku and the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were not going to attend the event, some supporters of Obi became angry at the snub.
A few hours to the event, they had been on Twitter relishing how they were going to attack Atiku and Tinubu, both men they considered too old to contest for president.
Shortly before the event commenced, it was announced that Okowa would represent Atiku. This angered the Obidients present at the venue to the point that they started throwing tantrums. Report has it that their tantrums delayed the start of the event for about 30 minutes.
Scenes from the event showed the moment Obidients were throwing tantrums and threatening to take Obi away from the event. Their noise forced anchor Abati to call them to order all to no avail as their embarrassing display aired live on national TV.
Obi admits some of the unruly audience were his supporters
While the event progressed, Abati was forced to call the supporters to order again.
He then proceeded to urged Obi to continue his speech, perhaps that would calm the audience down.
He said, “Mr Peter Obi, please continue. I hope your supporters will learn to keep quiet.”
In response, Oboi said, “They are not just my supporters. Most of them are from civil positions.”
Reacting, Abati said, “Well, Mr Peter Obi says he doesn’t know these people.”
This attracted a quick response from Obi who said, “No, I didn’t say I don’t know them. I only said they are not just my supporters.”
The above incident angered Obidients on Twitter to the point that they attacked Abati and dragged his years of journalism in the mud.
@DavidhUndeyin tweeted, “After that show of shame last night, Reuben Abati will now use his chest to declare himself some sort of journalism gatekeeper/godfather who deserves adulation on account of his Methuselah years. You better use that your white hair to cook beans. That’s all it’s useful for.”
@novieverest said, “Reuben Abati is a clown. Did he just call everyone making noise Peter Obi’s supporters? Reuben isn’t okay at all. I’m glad Peter Obi made it clear that most of them are people from civil organizations.Never seen this low level of journalism before.”
@NnaemekaEdeh1 said, “I will like to use this medium to draw the attention of Nduka Obaigbena,the owner of arise TV. We have observed the ignoble role your staff Reuben Abati is playing. We don’t mind the fact he is a card carrying PDP member.”
Obi loses cool against Melaye
During the rowdy session by the audience, a former senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, could be heard blaming it all on Obidients.
Melaye said, “Na wah for Obi people o,” to which Obi responded angrily, saying, “Stop that Dino. Why are you always calling me? I won’t take that. This man is from ANPP. Why are you calling him Obi people?”
Dino feigned ignorance but Obi insisted that he will not condone such behaviour.
He told Melaye, “Stop that, I have taken enough from you. Why are you always calling me?”
This led to questions about the man Obi as many wondered if he would be able to stomach the criticisms from Nigerians if he ever became president.
Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted, “What happened to Sen. Dino Melaye last night was just a confirmation to those still in doubt; the candidate is not in any way different from his supporters. Dino shouldn’t have gone through that unpleasant experience. What the Labour Party candidate did was so unpresidential!”
Another former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, tweeted, “If Obi cannot control his temper on stage during the AriseTV town hall presidential debate, and began throwing a tantrum and shouting words at Dino Melaye, then how can he control Nigeria and our armed forces as President? Obi showed that his emotions control him!
He added, “Obi’s supporters were the only ones who were rowdy at the AriseTV town hall. They disrupted the event by insisting that Governor Okowa should not speak. Okowa did not lose his cool. It was Obi who lost his cool and threw tantrums at Dino. What a shameful episode!”
Obidients resort to cancel culture
As soon as the events appeared not to favour Obi, his supporters immediately rallied round to cancel Arise TV, the same TV station that gave their principal prominence, whom they loved so much.
One of the prominent influencers in the Obidient camp, @firstladyship, tweeted, “Unfollow @ARISEtv NOW!! Show them we made them who they are!!”
The handle owner, who is speculated to be male, also tweeted, “Nigerians, learn how to maintain grudges against your politicians & their enablers. Do away with your Stockholm Syndrome & sentiments for once. Add fuel to your grudge against them. Unfollow @ARISEtv massively NOW! They enable the PDP & Atiku against Peter Obi. DO IT NOW.”
Obi to henceforth snub debates
The Director General of the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has said Obi will no longer attend debates snubbed by Atiku and Tinubu.
Okupe said this while addressing newsmen shortly after the town hall meeting in Abuja.
